The National tribune., 1887-06-16

his pace. He was thunderstruck at the infOr-
nation and at the remarkable time we were
/ making.
Begging few hardtack aud a little ba-
con, we again pushed on. / had no little
trouble i'm keeping the officer in command
4 from hating for the night 10 miles away
from the wire, hut fortunately compromised
the matter by resting 10 minutes and borrow
ing enough corn 10 feed when we reached the
/ line.
at II o'clock that dark night we reached
the point where / had left the wire. Dis
mounting, ] gropcd around in The darkness for
/ the link that could alone contribute 20 the
safety OF the command who might be fortunate
4 enough 60 reach that poiut. The nervous sus-
! pense OF the 10 minutes | was
FEELING ABOUND TOR THE WIRE
! can never be described. The fear that / should
4 find II lilolc5s, rendered the suspense most
4 painful
Finally. groning around on the ground. my
] hand came in contact with the wire and in an
instant ] found myself fully 10 feet distant;
tho 30 cups OF Grove battery which had been
put on at Memphis were still there, as i had
abundant reasons TO believe. The wire had
not been molestcd. No human being ever re-
Ceived the electric current-or. for that mat
ter the evidence of things not seeu-with
greater delight than did ] when the discovery
was made that the wire was safe and help
would come. For myself cared little, but for
4 the thousands of brave men who were plod-
] ding along 10 escape the horrors OF Southern
/ prson-pens ! did care, and ii my endeavors
could contribute in aiding them, it was
! pleasure 30 do so.
Informing the Captain in command that all
was well, he unsaddled the horses, and in less
than five minutes they Were fast asleep and all
was still rs death. The men, overcome by ia
tigue,
DROPPED on THE GROUND
and were soon in dreamland The % men
/ had started with had dwindled down to IL.
/ Attaching my pocket instrument 10 the wire i
called Gen. Mashbum's headquarters once, and
the answer came back promptly. i will here
say that no response TO a call have ever made
sounded so musical carried with il so much
expression Of good will as did the answer TO
my telegraph cali that night 23 years ago. III
my memory serves me correctly, John Frank
was on duty at Memphis that night. asked
him TO send an Orderly TO Gen Nashburn's
house and request him 10 come 10 headquarters
at once as i had very important news 10 COM
municate. This was done, and the operator
came back and said, Go ahead j began by
explaining that had no written dispatches
but that i had left Sturgis at 8 o'clock that
morning, and stated as briefly as possible what
was wanted: that if much of the command was
saved it would have 10 be done by fresh troops
coming out and taking the rear; that supplies
medicines, etc. must also be brought out
then gave him an account Of the fight. The Gen
eral at FIRST could not comprehend the story,
and, in fact,
SUSPECTED WAS A REBEL,
and that this was a trick TO capture
train of supplies. No man could have be-
lieyed that those old veterans could have
even heen worsted by FORESTS force, much less
defeated. He did not know that the old veter-
ans of the Sixteenth Corps had been double
4 quicked fE miles on a sultry day, and each
separate regiment pushed into the fight by de-
tail. and when one had been slaughtered or
/ captured another worn-out band Of veterans
was ordered TO the sacrifice. Yet such was the
fact, aud no man, save perhaps the ponderous
stan Of Sturgis will ever question the truth OF
1 this statement.
Gen Mashburn asked many questions con-
cerning the fight. j told him had given him
the material facts and he must excuse me. j
was completely worn out and must go to sleep;
4 in fact, in was impossible 10 keep awake My
/ guard Of ii men were sound asleep and there,
for over an hour, in the darkness of night, cold
hungry and stiff, did one Of the telegraph fra
! ternity render good and efficient work, sery-
ice which without doubt
SAVED MANY A MANS LIFE.
"At Memphis all was confusion. Orderlies
| were sent hither and thither, and the few re-
manning troops were ordered TO be ready at a
moments notice. Subsistence was loaded on
/ cars locomotives were fired up aud the night
was one Of excitement and activity. The
writer, p miles away with nothing but a
rabber blanket slept soundly, and was only
/ awakened in the morning when Capt. Wood
ward, OF Gen. Grierson's staff, shaking him,
said:
90 For Gods sake, wake up; there's no time
10 lose. Send this message as quick as God will
Jet you. and then skip out OF this. I'll saddle
your horse for you.
Rubbing my eyes, could hardly appreciate
the situation, bat IL all came back 10 ne as
heard. away OF on our flank, that s.miliar
bang! bang! The message asking FOR ammu-
milton for the cavalry was sent, aud within 20
minutes j was in Colliersyille, three miles
nearer Memphis.
Here again ] attached my pocket instru.
ment, aud calling the depot Office at Memphis,
made inquiry il amy trains had left with troops
to help Us out. The headquarters Office broke
in and said:
Don't you answer that question; that's
not Fred, bat some rebel operator who has
slipped in between him and Memphis. Forrest
has probably gobbled our man and wants TO
CAPTURE SOME TRAINS
"When j heard that my heart sank within
me; 10 use the phrase Of the day, was para
lyzed.' What had done TO deserve such treat
ment at the hands of friendsg Ii took fully
10 minutes 20 convince the boys at Memphis
that was the person j represented myself TO
be. From the morning Of the 10th 10 midnight
OF the llth had rode 10 miles, and that, too
afler had been in the saddle 10 days previous
and then 20 be called a rebel was crushing.
About 8 o'clock the whistle of an engine
was heard in The distance and soon the train
came in sight, bearing fresh men, food and
supplies. No incoming train was ever moro
cordially welcomed. The fresh men moved
out toward the front" TThese men were the
old Sixteenth Corps, under Gen. A. J. Smith
who had oppOrtunely arrived from Red Ryel
in the very nick Of time, the Sixteenth Corps
being represented on this expedition only 10y
, our brigade, the First, OF the First Division
which had been loaned 10 Sturgis.-LAcoCK
They saved from capture hundreds who would
doubtless have been gathered in by Forrest
Those Of Us who had gotten safely through re-
manned at Collicrsville during the day, and
were that night taken 10 Whites Station. A
portion OF the fresh troops, however, remained
behind 10 aid Ia protecting those who might
DE FORTUNATE ENOUGH
20 escape pursuit by the rebels
"Thus did Sturgis return 10 Memphis. and
IN this condition did ne bring back part Of tht
10000 veterans he started with ca the lst o.
/ June. 40 effort was made 10 reform his line
. az any time. ] assume that az old Army Office
who would slaughter 4 command as Sturgis did
( and be pursued almost 10 The city OF Memphi
by q greatly inferior force IA every respect
could not have been in lis right mind. VI,
certainly could rot find at West Point an,
S treatise which justified his conduct on this oc